Mart ann knowles



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Shet 1.

M. A. KNOWLES.

GAR COUPLING. No. 604,586. Patented May 24,1898.

Fig.1.

ii; 1 w I (No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

M. A. KNOWLES.

OAR COUPLING.

No. 604,586. Patented May 24,1898.

'MQMW (No Model.) 3 SheetsSheet 3,

MFA. KNOWLES. GAE COUPLING.

Fig.5.

nirnn ra'rns 'ATENT rricn,

MARY ANN KNOW LES, OF BAILDON, ENGLAND.

CAR COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters latent No. 604,586, dated May 24,1898.

Application filed November 1, 1897. Serial No, 657,090. (No model.)Patented in England December 17,1896,N0. 28,898.

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, MARY ANN KNowLns, a subject of the Queen of GreatBritain, residing at Baildon, in the county of York, England, haveinvented new and useful Improvements in Oar-Couplin gs, (for which Ihave ob tained a patent in England, No. 28,898, dated December 17,1896,) of which the following is a specification.

The object of my invention is to give drivers of engines and guards oftrains and locomotives more complete control thereof, and in cases wherea collision between an express or passenger and another train isotherwise bound to occur the enginedriver may release the engine andsave his train and the guard of the other train may release his truckbehind his van and save the rest of his train. To acquaint the guard insuch cases of emergency, it will be necessary to have an extrasignal-light-for instance, a royal-blue or a double-red light.

Figure l is a front elevation, partly in section, of ends of engine andtender with my releasing arrangement under command of the engine driverand stoker. Fig. 2 is a plan of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an end elevation ofreleasing mechanism detached. Fig. 4 is a front elevation of tender andpart of first carriage with releasing-gear of same. Fig. 5 is a frontelevation of guards van and part of luggagevan with releasing-gear forsame and block.

I employ under the engine and connected to the tender ordinary couplingbars orlinks A A A, secured by pins and cotters B B B within a receiver13 upon the engine and by pins 0 G O, screw D, foot-bracket D, handwheelE, bracket D and receiver B upon the tender. Thus by turning thehand-wheel one way the fastening-pins C C C are withdrawn and the tendercan be released from the engine. (See Figs. 1, 2, and The screw D, whichcarries the pin 0, engages with the stationary bracket D and also withthe vertically-slidable bracket D, which carries the pin 0. The bracketD slides upon vertical guides g. (Shown in Fig. 3.) Fig. 4. shows methodof disengaging the tender from the first carriage by a similararrangement; but the coupling-bars A are longer, as they pass under thewhole length of the tender to the first carriage and are linked to thedraw-hook K of the first carriage.

J is a rest upon the draw-hook to prevent the bar from dropping whenreleased and so plowing up the road or track.

If required, the draw-hooks and couplingbars, with receivers, may beduplicated one above the other and the pins on the screw lengthenedaccordingly.

Any of the same appliances may connect the guards van to a wagon behindit, which may also be provided with a block of indiarubber, Wood, orother suitable material L, suspended crosswise by rod N, so that whenthe wagon is uncoupled the guard may, if he thinks it necessary, (or isso signaled by the extra royal-blue signal or double red,)simultaneously drop the block L across the rails between his van and thewagon. The block L may be attached to chains M to insure it droppingacross the rails. The dropped block L impedes the Wagon, preventing itfrom following the train, and blocks the line, or it may throw the wagonoif the line and so prevent the engine of the express from running intothe passenger-train, thereby saving life by sacrificing the truck behindthe van. When coupled up, the winged nut or hand-wheel is screwed up anddraws and locks the bar in position.

hat is claimed as the invention, and de sired to be secured by LettersPatent, is

1. The combination, with a stationary bracket, a vertically-slidablebracket, and guides for the said slidable bracket; of arevoluble screwengaging with both the said brackets, coupling-pins carried by the saidslidable bracket and screw respectively, and a receiver and linksengaged by the said pins, substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with a receiver at the front of a tender, of a rodextending under the tender and connected to the carriage behind it, aretractable pin coupling the said rod and receiver, and a support onsaid carriage preventing the said rod from striking the ground when nolonger supported from the tender, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with receivers attached to two adjacent carriages,and a coupling-bar connecting the two receivers; of a rod N supported bythe receiver on the front are disengaged from the receiver on the frontcarriage, means for disengaging the said bar carriage, substantially asset forth. to and rod at one operation from the receiver to In testimonywhereof I aflix my signature which they are connected, a block carriedby in presence of two witnesses.

the said rod, and flexible connections attached MARY ANN KNOWLES. t0 thesaid block and to the rear carriage, Witnesses:

whereby the block falls in front of the wheels JOHN E. WALSH,

of the rear carriage when the said rod and bar ALLAN BENNETT.

